The deal comes more than four years after an explosion rocked the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, killing several oil rig workers and causing irreparable environmental damages to the surround area.

As the first appellate court to consider the reach of the term “instrumentality,” the 11th Circuit recognized that its opinion would provide much-needed guidance to “both corporations and the government.”

Patton Boggs LLP has agreed to pay out $15 million to Chevron Corp., settling a lawsuit filed by the oil company. Patton Boggs has also agreed to drop out of the Ecuadorian litigation as a stipulation of the agreement.

While Donziger is expected to try and appeal the ruling, the news could give Chevron an edge in pushing back against international efforts to hold it accountable for environmental issues stemming from oil operations within Ecuador.